defense secretary leon panetta said chances of the syrian regime resorting to chemical weapons may be easing. he spoke during a flight to kuwait. we have seen not seen anything new indicating any aggressive steps to move forward in that way, but we continue to monitor it very closely. we continue to make clear to them that they should not under any means make use of these chemical weapons against their own population. >> sreenivasan: also today, the united nations reported the number of syrian refugees fleeing the fighting has grown to more than 500,000, all across the middle east. and inside syria, rebels captured a second major military base near the northern city of aleppo. new details have emerged from south africa on the health of former president nelson mandela. the government announced today that military doctors are treating him for a recurring lung infection. mandela is 94 years old. he's been hospitalized since saturday, but officials said he is responding to treatment. an investigation of paying pro football players for causing injuries took a sharp new turn today. the man